Accession Number
2013-2-3
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2013-2-3
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
Physical Description
20 cm of textual records
ca. 100 photographs
Date
[190-]-2012
Scope and Content
Accession consists of records related to three generations of the Ladovsky family and their restaurant, the United Bakers Dairy Restaurant. Also included is a small amount of material related to Jewish organizations in Toronto, such as the Kieltzer Society and B'nai Brith, as well as the Bakery and Confectionary Union. Records include family and business photographs, correspondence, newsclippings, UB menus and other ephemera, and records related to family simchas and celebrations.
Custodial History
The records were created and accumulated by Aaron Ladovsky, Herman Ladovsky and Ruthie Ladovsky.
Administrative History
Aaron Ladovsky was born in 1888 in Kielce, Poland. He immigrated with his wife Sarah to Toronto in 1906 at the age of 18. Soon after arriving, Aaron Ladovsky worked to help form a Jewish bakers’ union to advocate for collective rights among Jewish Bakers. In 1912 he opened the United Bakers Dairy Restaurant at Dundas and Bay Streets (known then as Agnes and Terauley Streets respectively) in the heart of the Ward. That same year, the couple had twin sons Herman and Samuel, who were born on September 23, 1912.
Only a short time later, in 1920, Aaron moved the location of his restaurant to 338 Spadina Avenue, just north of Dundas. He and his family lived in an apartment upstairs. Herman and Samuel attended Hester How Elementary School until 1919, Lord Lansdowne Public School once the family moved to Spadina, and later Central Commerce. The twins worked in the family business in the 1920s delivering fresh breads and buns by horse cart.
Aaron Ladovsky was involved in a number of community organizations. He was instrumental in founding the Kieltzer Society of Toronto in 1913; a community based immigrant-aid association extending aid to Kielcers in Poland and around the world. Ladovsky remained an active member of the organization until his death on April 5, 1960 . His restaurant provided a welcome gathering place for the Jewish community, serving traditional dishes and maintaining a friendly open-door policy. Aaron Ladovsky was known for his generosity and claimed that no one, whether they had money or not, left his restaurant hungry. The United Bakers' menu was mainly based on Sarah’s original recipes, and continues to be so to this day.
During the Second World War, Herman served overseas as an electrician in the Canadian army show with comics Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster. After returning from the war, he married Dora Macklin in 1947, a registered nurse from Regina. He also began to take over management of the family business. Later, his son Philip and daughter Ruth would follow in his footsteps, helping to run the restaurant with him and later taking over managment. United Bakers remained on Spadina Avenue for 66 years – until 1986 when it moved to its current location at 506 Lawrence Avenue West, off of Bathurst Street. Herman was an active fixture in restaurant until his death on January 6, 2002. He also supported and was involved in the work of the Ontario Jewish Archives over the years. Today, Philip and Ruth carry on the family tradition of running United Bakers Dairy Restaurant.
Descriptive Notes
To be integrated into the Ladovsky family fonds 83.
Subjects
Families
Restaurants
Name Access
Ladovsky, Herman
Ladovsky, Aaron
United Bakers Dairy Restaurant (Toronto, Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2013-7-7
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2013-7-7
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
7 cm of textual records
Date
1923-2012, predominant 1923-1945
Scope and Content
Accession consists of textual records documenting Paula Epstein's family, particularly her parents Benjamin Gorman and Lillie Goldstein. Included are passports, Ben Gorman's high school transcripts, Ben and Lillie's marriage certificate (ketuba), Lillie's high school graduation program (1931, Central High School of Commerce), and records related to Ben's company, Gorman Knitting Mills Limited, including sock patterns. Also included are letters that were sent to Ben and Lillie before and during the Second World War from Ben's parents, brother (Jack) and cousins (the Stencil family) who were living in Poland. Finally accession includes one family memoir written by Paula's husband, Stanley Epstein. This memoir predominantly traces the history of the Epstein family (Nova Scotia), but also includes information about the Goldstein family (Toronto) and Gorman family (Toronto).
Administrative History
Benjamin Gorman was born in Rypin, Poland on 12 Oct. 1909 to Shmuel Pesach and Michla Gorman (nee Stencil). He came to Canada in 1928 after finishing high school matriculation in Poland. He was the first person in his town to ever pass the matriculation exam held in Warsaw. In Toronto, he married Lillian (Lillie) Goldstein on 1 Sept. 1939. They had three children together: Paula, Samuel, and Alvin. In 1953, Ben founded and operated a sock manufacturing company called Gorman Knitting Mills Limited. It's original location was 955 Eastern Avenue, but it re-located in 1963 to 1360 Birchmount Road in Scarborough.
Lillie Goldstein was born in Toronto on 10 Feb. 1914 to Harry and Rachel Goldstein. She was a medical secretary for many years and later worked in the family business as a bookkeeper. She was a member of the Karen Or Group where money was raised for muscular dystrophy with an annual card night that was held at the community centre at Eglinton Park.
Descriptive Notes
Language note: English, Yiddish, Hebrew, and Polish.
Subjects
Families
Name Access
Gorman, Benjamin
Gorman, Lillie
Epstein, Paula
Epstein, Stanley
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2013-12-9
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2013-12-9
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
1 cm of textual records
Date
2009-2012
Scope and Content
Accession consists of records documenting UJA Federation's Maot Chittin program in Cuba and a campaign event featuring Shimon Peres.
Use Conditions
UJA Federation meeting minutes and general correspondence are closed for 10 years from date of creation. Contracts and donor agreements are permanently closed.
Subjects
Presidents--Israel
Prime ministers--Israel
Name Access
Peres, Shimon, 1923-2016
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2014-6-4
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2014-6-4
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
graphic material (electronic)
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
ca. 40 photographs
3 CDs
Date
1919-2013, predominant 1919-1974
Scope and Content
Accession consists of scanned photographs and textual records that document the Natanson family. Photographs include images of the Lazar and Muriel Natanson's wedding, family portraits, portraits inside and in front of the store, class portraits and Lazar in his military uniform, Textual records consist of the eulogies for Lazar and Muriel Natanson, and copy of a summary of the history of the Weinstein family, and scanned copies of letters from Muriel Natanson to Eileen Bellan (nee Natanson) while Eileen was at Camp B'Nai Brith. Of note is the brief description of Muriel as an eyewitness to the Christie Pitts riot in 1933. CDs consist of digital copies of the photo reproductions in this accession.
Administrative History
Lazar Natanson (1918-1984) was born to Benjamin and Rose (nee Gratz) Natanson. He had five siblings, Albert (b. 1900), Freida (b. 1902), Celia (b. 1905), Nathan (b. 1909) and Ida (b. 1916). Soon after the end of the Second World War Lazar took ill and went to Montreal to recover and returned to Toronto several years later. Muriel Natanson (nee Weinstein) (1923-2013) was born in Bucharest, Romania, to Solomon (Shlomo) and Sylvia Weinstein. She had two brothers, David (1924-2010) and Albert (b.1933). Solomon was a housepainter and wallpaper hanger. Muriel left school at the age of 16 to help support her family, working at Tip Top Tailors and later Reader Mail. She went to night school to obtain her high school diploma. Muriel worked for her father when he opened a confectionary store in 1950. Lazar married Muriel in 1951 and they opened a store, Moffat's North York Bargain House, at 1291 Wilson Avenue that same year. They later changed the store's name to Les and Muriel's. They were likely one of the first Jewish families to move to the Downsview area, and lived above the store. Lazar and Muriel had two children, Eileen and Bob. While caring for their their children Muriel worked alongside Lazar at Les and Muriel's, and when he suffered a stroke in 1968 they sold the store. Eileen Natanson married Stanley Bellan and they had two children, Chad and Renee. Bob Natanson became a stockbroker. Lazar died in 1984 after suffering from a long-term illness. Murial passed away in 2013.
Use Conditions
Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
Descriptive Notes
Donor provided photo identification on the back of reproduced photos.
Subjects
Families
Name Access
Natanson family
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2014-8-12
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2014-8-12
Material Format
graphic material (electronic)
Physical Description
7 photographs : b&w and col. (tiff)
Date
[1970?]-2011
Scope and Content
Accession consists of photographs of Ben and Carrie Grossman and their family at family gatherings. Identified in the photographs are: Carrie Grossman, Ben Grossman, Jack Grossman, Warren Grossman, Rita Bergstein, Borris Litman, Ruth Malka Grossman, Miriam (Mimi) Grossman, Lillian Rose, Martha Sud, Hilda Grossman, and David Sud.
Subjects
Families
Name Access
Bergstein, Rita
Grossman, Ben
Grossman, Carrie
Grossman, Hilda
Grossman, Jack
Grossman, Miriam
Grossman, Ruth
Grossman, Warren
Litman, Borris
Rose, Lillian
Sud, David
Sud, Martha
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2014-10-2
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2014-10-2
Material Format
multiple media
Physical Description
40 cm of textual records and other material
Date
[192-]-[200-]
Scope and Content
Accession consists of records related to the life and career of David Green and the Jaffey family. Records include sound and video recordings of events, Goodwill Sales accounting ledgers, meeting minutes from the Jewish Canadian Military Archives and Museum, David Green's military ephemera, manuals and reports of the Jewish Federation Board of Trustees and Bequest and Endowment Fund, and Jaffey family correspondence and photographs. Records also include certificates of appreciation awarded to David Green, mainly from UJA Federation.
Administrative History
David Green (1919-2014) was born in the Junction in west Toronto. He served as a private in the Canadian army as part of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He was captured and designated MIA when he was held as a POW in Belgium. He became a member of General Wingate Branch 256 Jewish Canadian Legion. In the mid-1940s he married his wife, Sylvia (nee Jaffey) (d. 2010) and they had a daughter, Miriam. He was a longtime volunteer for the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto. In 1990, he was one of the first individuals to establish an Endowment Fund at the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto.
The Jaffey family consisted of Kaby Jaffey, his wife, Nellie, and their children Sylvia, Jess and Albert.
Descriptive Notes
Physical description note: Accession also consists of photographs and textiles.
Subjects
Canada--Armed Forces
Charities
Families
World War, 1939-1945
Name Access
Green, David, 1919-2014
Places
Toronto, Ont.
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2014-10-3
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2014-10-3
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
Physical Description
40 cm textual records
ca. 50 photographs
Date
1940-2012
Scope and Content
Accession consists of records of Canadian Young Judaea. Records include correspondence, camp committee meeting minutes, camp committee and staff lists, the CYJ constitution, organizational newsletters, donation lists, flyers and camp reunion ephemera. Records also include clippings and reproductions from the Zionist Archives, and Camp Solelim photographs, as well as publications from other Jewish organizations.
Administrative History
Canadian Young Judaea was founded in 1909 as a Zionist movement for Canadian youth by members of the Herzl Zion Club. As a Zionist organization, Young Judaea continues to be committed to fostering a sense of Jewish identity and values in today's Jewish youth and to encouraging a lifelong commitment to Israel. In order to foster a closer connection to Israel, Canadian Young Judaea employs educational Shlichim from Israel who are posted to various Jewish communities throughout Canada and to offices at the national level in Toronto Young Judaea also operates several Zionist summer camps located in each region of Canada, and a summer leadership institute called Camp Biluim in Quebec. In addition to the social programme of the organization, Young Judaea also offers educational seminars and conferences.
Use Conditions
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director prior to accessing some of the records.
Descriptive Notes
Access restriction note: Files contain personal information of donors, campers, committee members and applicants for subsidies.
Subjects
Camps
Youth
Zionism
Name Access
Canadian Young Judaea
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2015-3-1
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2015-3-1
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
Physical Description
30 cm of textual records
7 photographs : b&w ; 23 x 36 cm or smaller
Date
1928-2014
Scope and Content
Accession consists of records documenting the life and cantorial career of Rev. Alexander Steinberg, and to a lesser extent his son, Ben Steinberg. Included are photographs of Cantor Steinberg, fellow cantors and the Shaarei Shomayim cheder class; Cantor Steinberg's scrapbook; hand-copied solo and choral music books; correspondence; and materials relating to Ben Steinberg's cantata Echoes of Children memorializing the children who perished in the Holocaust.
Students identified in Cheder class include: Avrom Buckstein, Arnie Morrison, Reuvein Landsberg, Jack Geller, David Satok, Norman Rasky, Leon Gasner, Gerry Benson, Harvey Kofman, Leo Snowbell, Ben Steinberg, Earl Farber, Albert Strauss, Jerome Levine, and Saul Goodman (sitting third from the front against the wall).
Administrative History
Chazzan Alexander Steinberg was born Eliyahu Steinberg in Zhitomeir, Ukraine in 1893 to Chava and Chaim Steinberg. His father was the owner and operator of a lumber yard and, as a devout Jew, brought his son Eliyahu regularly to the synagogue where he developed a love of chazzanut and, in the then traditional apprenticeship method, studied the skills which would lead him eventually to a lifetime career in the music of the traditional synagogue.
At the age of 15 he emigrated to Winnipeg, Canada and worked in a men's clothing store until he could find employment as a cantor. He began his professional life as a visiting cantor in the 1920s, travelling to smaller communities in Alberta and Saskatchewan, officiating at services for Shabbat, High Holy Days and the Fesitvals, as well as presenting concerts of Hebrew and Yiddish song.
By the 1930s, he officiated regularly at the Atereth Yisrael Synagogue in Winnipeg and appeared as a concert cantor throughout the western Canadian provices (Lethbridge, Regina, Prince Albert, Edenbridge, Melville, Edmonton, Calgary, etc.) as well as Ontario (London, Hamilton, Kitchener, Sarnia, Ottawa, Fort William and Toronto) and as far away as St. Louis, Missouri and Detroit, Michigan.
He was appointed cantor of Atereth Yisrael Congregation of Winnipeg in 1930 and maintained a relationship with that Shul throughout his time in Toronto, visiting regularly to daven and present concerts.
After the death of his first wife, he married Polly Shapiro in 1928, and in 1933 he moved his family including four children (three, Sam, Ida and Laurie from his previous marriage) to Toronto, where for a time he served as cantor at Goel Tzedec Congregation.
In Toronto, Cantor Steinberg became renowned for his beautiful tenor voice and his knowledge of the liturgy. He was much sought after and officiated througout the Toronto area in synagogues such as the Hebrew Men of England, Ostrovtzer, Beth Jacob, Kiever, Goel Tzedec, Palmerston, Anshei Minsk and Lubavitcher. All this activity brought him to the attention of various synagogues in the United States as well and he travelled to Detroit and Rochester on several occasions.
In 1941, he was appointed Cantor at Shaarei Shomayim on St. Clair Ave., a congreation he served until 1950. He continued to serve outlying congregations in Hamilton, London and Sarnia until he was invited in 1953 to establish the King David Congregation in Toronto, to serve the unaffiliated during the High Holy Days. His cantorial career came to an end in April 1960 when he experienced a heart attach in London, Ontario while leading that community's Pesach service. He died at home in Toronto two days before Yom Kippur in 1960.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Benjamin Steinberg is a composer, conductor, organist, and teacher. He was born in Winnipeg on 22 January 1930 and received his Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto in 1961. He and his wife Mildred have two children.
A soloist at age 8 in the synagogue choir conducted by his father, Cantor Alexander Steinberg, he began conducting choirs himself at age 12. At the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto from 1948-1951 and 1957-1960 he studied composition with John Weinzweig, piano with Samuel Dolin, and voice with Weldon Kilburn. After teaching from 1953-1958 in public schools in the Toronto area and studying music education at the University of Toronto, he served from 1961-1964 as head of the music department at Winston Churchill Collegiate Institute and from 1961-1964 and in the same capacity at Forest Hill Collegiate Institute from 1964-1986. He was director of school music (1950-1960) and music director (1960-1969) at Holy Blossom Temple, and in 1970 he became music director at Temple Sinai. His method for youth choirs, "Together Do They Sing" (New York 1961), was commissioned and published by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations.
Steinberg's music includes five sacred services (four published - 1963, 1969, 1969, and 1990 - by Transcontinental Music); works for choir and/or soloist and organ or orchestra (some published by Transcontinental Music and Israeli Music Publications); The Vision of Isaiah (1970) for tenor, choir, and organ or instrumental ensemble; Yerushalayim (1973) for soprano, choir, and orchestra; Echoes of Children (1979), a cantata for soloist, narrator, chorus, and orchestra (which won the International Gabriel Award and has twice been televised on PBS); and instrumental works including a suite for flute and string trio based on Israeli folksongs. Steinberg was invited by the city of Jerusalem to be an artist-in-residence in 1978 and 1980; he received the Kavod (Honour) Award of the Cantor's Assembly in 1983, and that same year received a composer's award from the American Harp Society for his Suite for Flute, Viola and Harp (1981, commissioned by Suzanne Shulman). A number of temples, synagogues, and congregations in the USA commissioned some 18 works from Steinberg between 1980 and 1991. He has also received commissions from Paul Brodie (Suite Sephardi 1980), the Chamber Players of Toronto (Suite for String Orchestra 1983), and Lawrence Cherney (Invocations 1990). Baritone Richard Allen recorded several of Steinberg's works on the cassette A Ben Steinberg Concert. (ca 1989, Transcontinental unnumbered).
Of Steinberg's music Michael Isaacson wrote, 'While conservative, pragmatic and always well-mannered, it is also gratefully mindful of its tradition in a deeply lyrical way' (Journal of Synagogue Music, June 1973). Steinberg has presented Jewish music on the CBC, has published articles on it, and has given many lecture-recitals on it in Australia, Canada, Japan, and the USA. He is a contributor to EMC, a member of the CLComp, and an associate of the Canadian Music Centre.
Descriptive Notes
Biographical Note: Further biographical information on Ben Steinberg is available with the accession record.
Subjects
Cantors (Judaism)
Families
Heder
Name Access
Steinberg, Alexander, 1893-1960
Steinberg, Ben
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2015-2-5
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2015-2-5
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
graphic material (electronic)
Physical Description
2 folders of textual records
10 photographs
21 photographs (tiff)
Date
1957-2015, predominant 1987-2015
Scope and Content
Accession consists of textual and graphic material documenting the activities of Colin and Brenda Baskind. Included are family photographs, such as a wedding portrait of Colin and Brenda, images of family events, graduation portraits of Colin's children, family holiday celebrations, Colin and Brenda running marathons, and the family at a baby naming ceremony for Colin's granddaughter at Darchei Noam Synanagoue. Textual records include thank you letters Colin received from individuals he assisted as President of SAJAC and in other capacities, the CV that Colin used to look for work in Toronto while preparing to immigrate from South Africa, a speech Brenda delivered to a cancer support group regarding her fight with breast cancer and marathon running, newsclippings, certificates, and letters of reference for both Colin and Brenda.
Identified in the photographs are: Colin Baskind, Brenda Baskind, Alan Sandler, Ian Sandler, Lorraine Sandler, Cliff Baskind, Stacey Baskind, Audrey Weinberg, Gerald Weinberg, Solly Simmons, Renee Simmons, Lily Shaie Baskind, Alana Baskind, and Refton Blair.
Administrative History
Colin Baskind was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on April 20, 1943. As a child, he attended an all boys' school and played a wide variety of sports including, soccer, cricket and rugby. He studied commerce at the University of South Africa and completed a business course through a school in England. While in school he met his future wife, Brenda, on a blind date and they married in 1967. Together they had three children: Stacey, Alana and Cliff.
Colin worked in an import business and Brenda was a nursery school teacher. For a short period of time they cared for the nephew of their maid, whose daughter gave birth at a young age and was still in school. They raised him with their children until his mother was finished school.
Around 1976, Colin and Brenda started to think about leaving South Africa due to the worsening violence and political situation. After first considering Australia, they eventually immigrated to Toronto in 1987. Colin found work in the importing business and Brenda found work at Holy Blossom Temple school. Soon after arriving in Toronto, Colin became involved in the Southern African Jewish Association of Canada. He attended a meeting that had been called to resuscitate SAJAC (the organization, which was formed in 1977, had ceased functioning and there was a need to bring it back to help a new large wave of immigrants). At the meeting Colin was nominated as President and he has held this role ever since. Colin also volunteered with a variety of organizations including, JIAS and JVS. He continued with his athletic pursuits in Canada and jogged, hiked, and cycled in all weather. Around 1998, Brenda started to join Colin and his running group on jogs. Around 2000 they both began running in marathons. By 2015, they had participated in 11 marathons. In 2010, their granddaughter Lily Shaie was born to their daughter Stacey.
Use Conditions
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director prior to accessing some of the records.
Subjects
Families
Immigrants--Canada
South Africa--Emigration and immigration
Name Access
Baskind, Colin
Places
Johannesburg
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2015-3-8
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2015-3-8
Material Format
graphic material (electronic)
textual record
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
18 photographs : tiff
Date
1969, 1974-2014
Scope and Content
Accession consists of textual and graphic material documenting the Cohen family, their immigration to Canada from South Africa, and life in Toronto. Textual records include photocopies of correspondence and paperwork relating to the Cohen's immigration, certificates, and a typed document containing humorous stories their South African friends shared at a "10 Years Out Of Africa" party relating to their adjustment to Canadian life. Also included are family portraits and photographs documenting family celebrations such as weddings and bar mitzvahs. Of note is an image of Vivien and John at the "10 Years Out of Africa" party.
Administrative History
John Cohen was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1944 to Phil and Flora Cohen. Vivien Cohen (née Lehwess) was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1947 to Henry Lehwess and Isle Lehwess (née Wronsky). John's cousin was in physiotherapy school with Vivien, and they were introduced to each other. They married on 3 December 1969 and had three children together: Nicole (b. 1972), Steven (b. 1974), and Jeremy David (1979). Vivien was a physiotherapist, and John was a textile sales agent. Due to the unstable political situation in South Africa, they immigrated to North York in March 1977. For the first few weeks, they lived in a rental apartment in North York. They soon moved into a townhouse nearby. In 1980, they bought their first house in Thornhill. They were both able to continue in their professions after immigrating to Canada. Both of their mothers and many of their friends also moved to Toronto. John and Vivien were members of Shaarei Shalom synagogue for twenty-five years and are now members of Darchei Noam.
Subjects
Families
Immigrants--Canada
South Africa--Emigration and immigration
Name Access
Cohen, John
Places
Johannesburg, South Africa
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2014-9-5
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2014-9-5
Material Format
graphic material (electronic)
textual record (electronic)
textual record
Physical Description
4 cookbooks (pdf)
1 folder of textual records (pdf and tiff)
1 folder of textual records
ca. 1000 photographs (jpg)
Date
[ca. 1950]-2014
Scope and Content
Accession consists of scanned and photocopied material documenting the Hotz family's activities in South Africa and Canada. Included are family photographs, correspondence, invitations, programmes, school report cards, passports, newsclippings, a wedding speech, and certificates. Also included are copies of four South African Jewish cookbooks: Passover "Palatables", International Goodwill Recipe Book (1951 and 1969), and K.D.S. Recipe Book (1964).
Custodial History
Barbara Weisberg is the wife of Darrel Hotz. The material was either inherited by them after Darrel's parents passed away or created by Barbara and Darrel.
Use Conditions
Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
Descriptive Notes
Language: English and Afrikaans.
Subjects
Cookbooks
Families
South Africa--Emigration and immigration
Name Access
Hotz, Darrel
Wiseberg, Barbara
Places
South Africa
Toronto, Ont.
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2015-8-7
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2015-8-7
Material Format
multiple media
Physical Description
ca. 70 cm of textual records and other material
Date
1928-2013
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material documenting the activities of Ben Zion Shapiro and his family. The bulk of the records document the Shapiro family's involvement in Young Judaea. The Young Judaea material includes: yearbooks, photographs, correspondence, meeting minutes, event programmes, song books, newsletters, and two Camp Biluim flags made by Bunny Shapiro. One flag contains Camp Biluim's crest (1951) and the other one was created for Camp Biluim's colour war and contains the text "We will try and we will succeed Camp Biluim" (1954?). Also included is a VHS tape containing a copy of the Toronto Zionist Council's video about Camp Shalom (1991?). Of note are minute books maintained by Roy Shapiro for the Toronto Young Judaea Administrative Board (1928-1934) and for the Leadership Club (1940-1948).
Accession also contains material relating to Roy and Ben Zion's involvement with the following organizations: the Coordinated Services to the Jewish Elderly (Circle of Care), B'nai Israel Beth David Congregation, Beth Tzedec's Mispacha Program, Beth Tzedec's Israel Action Program, Congregation Beth Haminyan, and Holy Blossom Temple's Department for Jewish Living. These records include, minutes, correspondence, newsletters and publications, evaluation reports and other reports. Also included is a demographic report entitied "Rapid Growth and Transformation: Demographic Challenges Facing the Jewish Community of Greater Toronto" (1995), material from a conference at the University of Toronto on the university's partnership with Israel, CHAT alumni directories, and a CHAT book entitled, "Voices: Jewish Teens of the 90's". Of note are buttons, photographs, reports and correspondence documenting Bunny and Ben Zion's trip to the Soviet Union on behalf of the CJC's Committee for Soviet Jewry.
Finally accession includes material documenting family activities of the Shapiro and Sherman family. Included is a transcript of Bessie Sherman telling her life story (1978), haggadot, PowerPoint presentations created by Ben Zion for his grandchildren and for a family reunion outlining the family history of his family and Bunny's family. There is also a video of Ben Zion presenting his PowerPoint at the Michalski / Cohen family reunion. Also included are family films and videos containing footage of Bunny and Ben Zion's wedding and honeymoon, Camp Biluim, Young Judaea events, Bunny on Machon, family wedding anniversaries and birthday parties, trips to Israel, the United States, and Europe as well as footage of the Cousin's Club. Also included is a VHS tape containing a recorded segment from CityPulse News featuring the family's Pesach festivities in 1995.
Photo identification: Back row, left to right: Ray Markus, Michelle Landsberg, Menachem ?, Frank Narrol. Front row, left to right: Gilda Mitchell, Bunny Shapiro, BenZion Shapiro, Malka Rabinowitz.
Administrative History
Ben Zion Shapiro was born in Toronto in 1931 to Roy Shapiro and Beck Shapiro (née Cohen). He has a younger brother, Morden "Mort" Shapiro (b. 1940). His father worked as an office manager at Rotstein Furniture and Maple Leaf Cleaners, and his mother worked as a legal secretary until marriage. Roy was active in a number of organizations including: Young Judaea, Sons of Jacob Society, Toronto Camera Club, a founding member of Beth David Synagogue, Coordinated Services to the Jewish Elderly (Circle of Care) and president of the Association of Jewish Seniors. Beck was active in Young Judaea and Pioneer Women (president of the Golda Meir Club).
Ben Zion received a master of social work degree from the University of Toronto and attended the Jewish Agency Institute for Youth Leaders from Abroad in Jerusalem (1951-1952). He has worked for a number of organizations throughout his career, including: Young Judaea (he was director of both Camp Shalom [1962-1969] and Camp Biluim [1954-1956]), B'nai Brith Youth Organization, University Settlement, St. Christopher's House and director of the Novomeysky Centre in Jerusalem (1957-1961). He was also professor and associate dean of social work at the University of Toronto and three times visiting professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Ben married Bunny "Bernice" Shaprio in 1955. Bunny was born in 1934 in Noranda, Quebec to Irving Sherman and Bessie (née Consky). Bunny attended public school in Noranda, Noranda High School and Forest Hill Collegiate in Toronto, University of Toronto (BA), the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (M.Ed. in special education), and the Jewish Agency Institute for Jewish Leaders from Abroad (1952-1953).
Bunny graduated from the first Camp Biluim Institute for leadership training in 1951 and worked with Ben Zion at Camp Shalom as Camp Mother in 1962 and from 1964-1969. She also worked at Camp Biluim from 1955-1956. In 1983, Bunny and Ben Zion went to the Soviet Union to visit refuseniks on behalf of the Soviet Jewry Committee of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region.
Bunny and Ben have two children: Ayala and Ilan. Since Ben Zion's retirement in 1996, he and Bunny have been living in Jerusalem for half of each year. In 2015, they moved full-time to Jerusalem.
Use Conditions
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Descriptive Notes
Physical description note: includes ca. 300 photographs (256 tiff), 2 PowerPoint presentations, 1 textual record (doc), 4 buttons, 2 flags, 5 VHS tapes, and 18 film reels (8 mm).
Subjects
Camps
Youth
Zionism
Name Access
Shapiro, Ben Zion, 1931-
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2015-12-1
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2015-12-1
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
Physical Description
1.2 m of textual records
ca. 250 photographs : b&w and col.
Date
1776, [191-]-2012
Scope and Content
Accession consists of the records related to the life and career of Dr. Fred Wienberg. Included are textual and photographic records documenting his personal and family life, his medial career, scholarly activities, involvement with the Jewish community, his collecting of Judaica, medical antiques and art, and his synagogue involvement. Other items include the Ostrovtzer Mutual Benefit Society minute book and a 1776 letter from Jonas Phillips, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War and an American merchant in New York City and Philadelphia.
Administrative History
Fred Weinberg (1919-2003) was born in Ostrawiec, Poland on July 6, 1919 to Rose and Israel Weinberg. Israel immigrated to Canada in 1920 and his wife and children joined him several years later in March of 1924. The family settled in Toronto where Israel worked in the fur manufacturing business. Israel was a supporter and aficionado of cantorial music as well as a founder of the Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto and the Ostrovtzer Synagogue on Cecil Street.
Fred completed his primary and secondary education at Clinton Street Public School and Harbord Collegiate. He also attended the Brunswick Talmud Torah, celebrating his bar mitzvah in 1932. Fred decided to pursue a medical career, graduating from the University of Toronto’s medical school in 1944. During his studies he enlisted in the army and completed officers’ training in April 1945, attaining the rank of Captain. During his military career he served in the RCAMC at Camp Borden, Christie St. Hospital and at the Stanley Barracks in Toronto. Towards the end of the war he served as Officer in charge of repatriation of the POWs.
After the war Fred pursued his post-graduate work at Seaview and Bellevue hospitals in New York City from 1946 to 1947 and then moved on to the Children’s and Washington University hospitals in St. Louis, Missouri the following year. He was subsequently accepted as a resident at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto and was ultimately appointed Chief Resident under the supervision of the internationally renowned paediatrician, Dr. Alan Brown. In 1950, Dr. Weinberg was hired as a physician in paediatrics at Sick Kids Hospital, making him the first Jewish doctor on staff. In addition to his staff responsibilities, he also lectured and was a faculty member at the University of Toronto’s Medical School for many years.
By the mid-point of his career, Dr. Weinberg went on to specialise in Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), delivering lectures and publishing articles in medical journals. He also ran his own practice, which operated from 1950 to 1976, and later become Associate Medical Director of the Child Development Clinic, Neurology Division of Sick Kids until his retirement in 1984. He later continued his service at Sick Kids as a senior staff consultant and ran a specialized practice in Developmental Pediatrics for close to twenty years, which was later situated at 208 Bloor Street West.
Fred married Joy Cherry on December 16, 1952 at Goel Tzedec Synagogue. The couple had four children: Joel (b. 1953), Barry (b. 1955), Sari (b. 1956) and Deena (b. 1961). Throughout his life, Fred was actively engaged in Jewish communal work in a variety of capacities: assisting with the establishment of the United Synagogue Day School during the 1950s; as a fundraiser for the United Jewish Appeal (UJA); and as a participant in two of UJA’s early study missions to Israel in 1960 and 1961. He was also an influential figure within his synagogue, joining the Board of Directors of Beth Tzedec Synagogue during the late 1960s and serving as president from 1972 to 1975.
Fred and his wife Joy also collected Judaica, antiques and artwork. As a physician, Fred developed a passion and expertise in the area of medical antiques. He published articles in both the mainstream and Jewish press on subjects related to Jewish rituals, Judaica and art. He also had a regular column in the Canadian Journal of Diagnosis from 1998 to 2002 entitled “Antique instruments”. Over time, the Weinberg’s assembled a world-class collection of Judaica and became increasingly active in the museum world. Fred assisted in the establishment of Beth Tzedec’s Helene and Rubin Dennis Jewish Museum, contributing items from the couple’s Judaica collection and securing the acquisition of the renowned Cecil Roth collection for the Museum during the early to mid-1960s. As a result of his significant contributions, he was bestowed the title of honourary curator to the Museum. Dr. Weinberg later branched out and assisted with the Koffler Gallery’s Lifecycle exhibition in 1984 as guest curator. The following year, he served as a special presenter and instructor to the docents at the “Precious Legacy” Czech Judaica exhibition at the ROM. The Weinberg’s most significant contribution to the museum world, however, was marked in September of 2000, when they were honoured at the opening of the Dr. Fred and Joy Cherry Weinberg Gallery of Judaica at the ROM, featuring some of their most valuable and treasured pieces.
Dr. Fred Weinberg passed away on October 30, 2003 at 84 years of age. The Weinberg Endowment Fund was established by the family at the University of Toronto’s Jewish Studies Program to honour Fred’s passion for Jewish history, rituals and artefacts. That year the Weinberg family also set up a fund in Fred’s name in support of the Therapeutic Clown Program, a highly visible and successful program within Sick Kids’ Pediatric Division.
Use Conditions
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director prior to accessing some of the records.
Descriptive Notes
Use Conditions Note: Records contain patient names and medical information.
Subjects
Families
Physicians
Societies
Name Access
Weinberg, Fred, 1919-2003
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2016-2-7
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2016-2-7
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
60 cm of textual records
Date
1966-2015
Scope and Content
Accession consists of records reflecting the academic, personal and literary life of Dr. Gerald Tulchinsky. Included are the final manuscript, research notes, edits and anciliary materials related to Tulchinsky's book on J. B. Salsberg; a large amount of general research and many unpublished articles on Canada's clothing industry and the Jewish involvment, particularly in Montreal and Toronto; correspondence to various granting bodies; folders of story ideas; genalogical research notes and an unpublished family history; research into a 1950 fatal fire at a garment factory at 447 Richmond St. W in Toronto; a unpublished poem; lecture notes; and personal records related to the lease of his home and the purchase of a Heinzman piano, which was dropped off the truck during delivery.
Of note is a memoir written by Ruth Talesnick documenting her parent's early involvment in the needle trade and a memoir by Anne Tulchinsky, Jerry's mother.
Administrative History
Dr. Gerald Tulchinsky was Professor Emeritus at Queen's University, Department of History, and author of several books on the history of Canadian Jewry and labour issues in Canada. His books include: Shtetl on the Grand (2015); Joe Salsberg: A Life of Commitment (2013); Canada's Jews: A People's Journey (2008); Branching Out: The Transformation of the Canadian Jewish Community (1998); Taking Root: The Origins of the Canadian Jewish Community (1992); and The River Barons: Montreal Businessmen and the Growth of Industry and Transportation, 1837-53 (1977).
Tulchinsky was born in Brantford, Ontario in 1933 to Harry and Anne Tulchinsky. He resided in Kingston, Ontario until his death on 13 Dec. 2017.
Use Conditions
Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director prior to accessing the records.
Descriptive Notes
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE: This accession also includes numerous books, some of wihch don't relate to our mandate and others which are duplicates of our current holdings. The books that we have retained have been integrated into the OJA's library holdings.
USE CONDITION NOTE: Access restricted until ten years after the donor's death, at the donor's request.
Subjects
Families
Name Access
Tulchinsky, Gerald, 1933-2017
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2016-2-15
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2016-2-15
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
Physical Description
1 m of textual records
ca. 200 photographs
Date
[189-]-2013
Scope and Content
Accession consists of records created and collected by Bill Gladstone during the course of his research into the family history and genealogy of the Naftolin and Rubinoff families and their various branches. Included are Gladstone's extensive research files on each member of the family, which consist of hand-written research notes, correspondence with family members and government officials, newsclippings, copies of vital statistics, immigration and citizenship records, certificates, bereavement and sympathy cards, telegrams and congratulatory anniversary cards, invitations, and photographs.
Accession also consists of records related to the Agudas Hamishpocha, the family mutual benefit society and social club that was formed in 1928 by the Naftolin and Rubinoff families. These records include meeting invitations and flyers, anniversary and jubilee books, membership lists, photographs, loan society materials, newsclippings and articles, research notes, and a copy of the letters of incorporation.
Administrative History
Bill Gladstone is a direct decendent of the Naftolin-Rubinoff family. The five branches of the family as researched by Gladstone are the Rachel Rubinowitz and Shmuel Chaim Rubinowitz branch; Riva Rishe Rubinowitz and Itsha Maisha Naftolin branch; Binyamin (Benjamin) Rubinoff and Esther Dobin branch; Minya Rubinowitz and Elimelech Arnoff branch; and Aaron Rubinowtiz and Esther Cahansky branch. Rachel, Riva Rishe, Binyamin, Minya and Aaron were all siblings. Other family names include Cohen, Slovin, Rosensweig, Patlik and Alter.
Use Conditions
Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
Descriptive Notes
FINDING AID NOTE: It is recommended that researchers consult the book "One Hundred Years in Canada: the Rubinoff-Naftolin Family Tree" for more context when viewing the material.
USE CONDITION NOTE: Donor retains copyright for all original research and writing. Donor wishes to be notified prior to publication. Publication requests must receive permission from donor, if possible.
Subjects
Families
Name Access
Gladstone, Bill
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2016-3-26
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2016-3-26
Material Format
graphic material
textual record
Physical Description
4 folders of textual records
ca. 10 photographs : col. ; 22 x 28 cm or smaller
Date
1980-2016, predominant 1982-1994
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material documenting the Herman family's immigration to Ontario, family life in Thornhill, education, communal involvement in Hamilton, and their business endeavours with the Firwin Corporation and Simply Extraordinary. Included are photographs; a family history that was written in commemoration of Paul and Miriam's fiftieth wedding anniversary; a selection of annual family newsletters that detail their life in Canada; correspondence documenting Paul's involvement with Temple Anshe Sholom in Hamilton, Ontario; their childrens' school certificates, secondary school diplomas, and post-secondary convocation programs. Also included is business ephemera, such as, business cards and images documenting Simply Extraordinary corporate gift products.
Identified in the photographs are: Paul Herman, Miriam Herman, Brett Herman, and Adina Ward (nee Herman).
Administrative History
Paul Henry Herman was born on July 3, 1940 to Mr. Leslie Elkan and Mrs. Clare Herman (nee Emdon) of Dunkeld West, Johannesburg, South Africa. Paul is the eldest of five siblings. During his youth, Paul was involved in his synagogue and youth groups as well as the Boy Scouts. He attended Stellenbosch Afrikaans University where he earned a business degree and became fluent in Afrikaans. After university, he joined the family uniform business, H. J. Henochsberg, and was sent to England in 1962 for further clothing industry training.
Paul married Miriam Riva Herman from Wynberg, Cape Town, SA on February 6th, 1965. Miriam worked as a social worker at the Johannesburg General Hospital. Their first son, Stanley, was born in 1966 followed by Rael in 1968, Brett in 1970 and Adina in 1974.
The Herman’s were motivated to emigrate out of a desire to prevent their son from having to enlist in the South Africa army [and thereby become involved in military efforts that they did not support]. After the family business was sold, Paul worked as a quality manager at Edgars Stores while periodically travelling abroad with Miriam to seek out emigration opportunities.
The Herman family came to Canada in 1982 and settled in Thornhill, Ontario. Upon arriving in Ontario, Paul found work at a uniform manufacturer (Saint Hill Levine Uniforms) then at Lady Manhattan and Sunshine T-Shirts. In 1989, Paul and Miriam purchased Firwin Corporation, a high temperature insulation manufacturing company. During the family’s early years in Canada, Miriam started a corporate gift business called Simply Extraordinary.
Use Conditions
Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
Subjects
Immigrants--Canada
Families
Occupations
Societies
South Africa--Emigration and immigration
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2016-3-60
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2016-3-60
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
Physical Description
ca. 5 cm of textual records
2 photographs : col. & b&w ; 10 x 15 cm and 5 x 4 cm
Date
1972-2010, predominant 1977-1983
Scope and Content
Accession consists of textual and graphic material documenting the Robinson family's immigration to Ontario and Morris Robinson's professional history and business activities with Libman and Company.
Included are family correspondence, the Robinsons' customs paperwork and travel documents, Morris' curriculum vitae, professional records and some documentation of his business activities, and genealogical accounts of the Robinson family (including a history by Lilian Henry). Of note is a letter Morris Robinson sent to Irma when he first arrived in Boston on his way to Toronto and letters Morris' parents hand delivered to Irma just before she left with the children to join Morris in Canada.
Identified in the photographs are: Morris Robinson and Phoebe Robinson.
Custodial History
Material was in possession of Morris Robinson. Morris donated it to the OJA.
Administrative History
Morris Robinson was born in Cape Town, South Africa, on 27 May 1948 and grew up in Benoni. He completed his bachelor of commerce degree at the University of Witwatersrand and graduated as a chartered accountant in 1973. On 25 February 1973, Morris married Irma Startz, who was born in Benoni, South Africa, on 10 December 1951. Irma earned a bachelor of arts degree at the University of Witwatersrand and went on to obtain a post-graduate higher teacher's diploma. The Robinsons have three sons. Their first son, Marc, was born in South Africa on 26 September 1976 (just a few months after the Soweto riots). Their sons Frank (b. 31 December 1980) and Daniel (b. 12 March 1985) were born in Toronto.
The Robinsons were motivated by political unrest, which manifested in the anti-apartheid Soweto uprising of June 1976, and the desire for a safe future for their family, to seek opportunity abroad and to emigrate. In February 1977, Morris heard through friends about an accounting job opportunity in Canada and was officially appointed to the post of comptroller at Libman and Company, then Canadas’ largest jewellery manufacturer. The Robinsons arrived in Toronto in early 1978 and settled in Thornhill, Ontario. In 1989, Morris became a partner of Libman and Company. During his career in the jewellery industry, Morris was involved with the Canadian Jewellers Association and served as the organization's chair. He was also a founding member and first treasurer of the Diamond Bourse of Canada. Irma pursued a teaching career with the Toronto District School Board, specializing in ESL and eventually becoming the principal at an ESL school for adults. The Robinsons were founding members of Shaar Shalom Synagogue. In 2012, the Robinsons sold the family home in Thornhill and moved into the city to be closer to their children and grandchildren.
Use Conditions
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Descriptive Notes
Availability of other formats: Textual records available as PDF files and photographs available as JPEG files.
Subjects
Business
Immigrants--Canada
Families
South Africa--Emigration and immigration
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2015-3-5
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2015-3-5
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Date
2013-2015
Scope and Content
Accession consists of textual records documenting the history of the Toronto Hebrew Memorial Parks (THMP) and Sidney Freedman's role as founder. Included are writings created by Sid Freedman reflecting on mixed burial issues and the history of THMP (this writing accompanies audio recordings Freedman had created on this topic in 1997). Also included is correspondence between Freedman and Bill Draimin as well as a copy of Freedman's farewell letter to THMP's Board.
Use Conditions
Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director and donor prior to accessing the records.
Descriptive Notes
Related material note: AC 237-240
Subjects
Cemeteries
Name Access
Toronto Hebrew Memorial Parks
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2017-1-24
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2017-1-24
Material Format
moving images (electronic)
Physical Description
1 MP4 video (8 min., 58 sec.) : col. , sd.
Date
27 Nov. 2016
Scope and Content
Accession consists of one MP4 video file containing a Toronto Hebrew Memorial Parks tribute video to Sidney Freedman. It was produced by the Heritage Professionals.
Subjects
Cemeteries
Name Access
Freedman, Sidney
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2016-7-5
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2016-7-5
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
graphic material (electronic)
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
41 photographs : b&w and col. (1625 kb jpgs) ; 21 x 26 cm or smaller
Date
1932-2013
Scope and Content
Accession consists of records documenting the Latchman Triplets. Included are family photographs of Donald, Marvin and Victor Latchman, a family portrait taken at the wedding of Philip and Sally Latchman, class photos, summer camp photos, and images of the triplets' 75th and 80th birthdays (5 November 2013).
Identified in photographs are: Donald and Annette Latchman, Victor and Rosalie Latchman, Marvin and Shirley Latchman, Philip and Sally Latchman, Morris Latchman, Vera Latchman Berrin, Mari Latchman Lipton, Irv Lipton, and Belle Latchman.
Textual records include Beth Sholom Bulletin June-August 1997, Beth Sholom Brotherhood Ball and Installation 1971, photocopies of news paper articles about the triplets, class photos and letter regarding payment of King's Bounty.
Administrative History
Philip and Sally (Sugarman) Latchman were married in 1932. In November 1933, Sally gave birth to identical triplets Donald, Marvin and Victor. In celebration, they were sent the King's Bounty of 3 British pounds. The boys were interviewed every year on their birthday by Toronto newspapers until they decided to stop the publicity. The family lived in the Bloor-Markham area until the boys were 11. The family then moved to Montclair Avenue where the boys attended Forest Hill Public School. They had their bar-mitzvahs at the Hebrew Men of England Synagogue. The triplets' father, Philip Latchman was a founding members of Beth Sholom Synagogue. Donald Latchman was on the board and Rosalie Latchman was active in the congregation.
Philip and his younger brother Morris Latchman started Federal Farms Limited in 1948 on 150 acres of Holland March in Brantford, Ontario. They grew vegetables: potatoes, carrots, celery and rutabegas. They also had a potato chip company Mad Hatter Snack Foods which was Kosher for Passover. Federal Farms Ltd. went public in 1961 and Loblaws bought 51% of the shares.
Donald attended Ryerson business school and founded Latchman Insurance Brokers. He married Annette Bachst, a Holocaust survivor who grew up in New York.
Marvin attended Ryerson business school then worked for Federal Farms at the Ontario Food Terminal. Later he became a real estate broker. He married Shirley Wolkofsky.
Victor worked on the family farm and at Federal Fruit Company at the Ontario Food Terminal. Victor took a business course at Shaw's Business School. In 1966 he bought Taylors shoes, a business at 2934 Dundas Street. West started in 1920 by Sid Taylor. Victor helped start the Junction Business Improvement Association and was twice pesident of Junction Gardens BIA. He retired in 2009. Victor and Rosalie Greenspan (d. 2014) were married at Beth Sholom in 1958 by Rabbi David Monson. Their children are Howard, and Faith and Mitchell Sherman. Their grand-children are Matthew, Jennifer and Russell Sherman. Victor and Rosalie were honoured at Beth Sholom Synagogue on 26 October 2013 for their 55th wedding anniversary.
In 2012 at age 78, the triplets believed themselves to be the oldest male identical triplets alive in Canada.
Use Conditions
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Descriptive Notes
RELATED MATERIALS NOTE: Federal Farms Limited fonds at Simoce Country Archives. ASSOCIATED MATERIALS NOTE: See accession 2016-12\45 (Victor Latchman) and 2002-10\66 (Morris Latchman).
Subjects
Agriculture
Families
Name Access
Latchman, Donald
Latchman, Marvin
Latchman, Victor
Places
Brantford (Ont.)
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2016-12-45
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2016-12-45
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
Physical Description
3 photographs : b&w ; col. ; 8 x 11 cm
1 folder of textual records
Date
1958-2010
Scope and Content
Accession consists of family photos of Victor Latchman and textual records about Victor's business Taylors Shoes. Identified in the photos are: Victor Latchman and Rosalie Greenspan, Donald and Annette Latchman and Victor and Rosalie in Miami (1960s). Textual records include a business card for Taylors Shoes and an article about Latchman's retirement published in the Bloor West Town Crier (February 2010).
Administrative History
Philip and Sally (Sugarman) Latchman were married in 1932. In November 1933, Sally gave birth to identical triplets Donald, Marvin and Victor. In celebration, they were sent the King's Bounty of 3 British pounds. The boys were interviewed every year on their birthday by Toronto newspapers until they decided to stop the publicity. The family lived in the Bloor-Markham area until the boys were 11. The family then moved to Montclair Avenue where the boys attended Forest Hill Public School. They had their bar-mitzvahs at the Hebrew Men of England Synagogue. The triplets' father, Philip Latchman was a founding members of Beth Sholom Synagogue. Donald Latchman was on the board and Rosalie Latchman was active in the congregation.
Philip and his younger brother Morris Latchman started Federal Farms Limited in 1948 on 150 acres of Holland March in Brantford, Ontario. They grew vegetables: potatoes, carrots, celery and rutabegas. They also had a potato chip company Mad Hatter Snack Foods which was Kosher for Passover. Federal Farms Ltd. went public in 1961 and Loblaws bought 51% of the shares.
Donald attended Ryerson business school and founded Latchman Insurance Brokers. He married Annette Bachst, a Holocaust survivor who grew up in New York.
Marvin attended Ryerson business school then worked for Federal Farms at the Ontario Food Terminal. Later he became a real estate broker. He married Shirley Wolkofsky.
Victor worked on the family farm and at Federal Fruit Company at the Ontario Food Terminal. Victor took a business course at Shaw's Business School. In 1966 he bought Taylors shoes, a business at 2934 Dundas Street. West started in 1920 by Sid Taylor. Victor helped start the Junction Business Improvement Association and was twice pesident of Junction Gardens BIA. He retired in 2009. Victor and Rosalie Greenspan (d. 2014) were married at Beth Sholom in 1958 by Rabbi David Monson. Their children are Howard, and Faith and Mitchell Sherman. Their grand-children are Matthew, Jennifer and Russell Sherman. Victor and Rosalie were honoured at Beth Sholom Synagogue on 26 October 2013 for their 55th wedding anniversary.
In 2012 at age 78, the triplets believed themselves to be the oldest male identical triplets alive in Canada.
Descriptive Notes
ASSOCIATED MATERIALS NOTE: See accession 2016-7-5 (Victor Latchman) and 2002-10-66 (Morris Latchman). RELATED MATERIALS NOTE: Federal Farms Limited fonds at Simcoe County Archives.
Subjects
Business
Families
Name Access
Latchman, Annette
Latchman, Donald
Latchman, Rosalie
Latchman, Victor
Places
Miami (Fla.)
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2017-8-13
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2017-8-13
Material Format
graphic material (electronic)
object
Physical Description
45 photographs (tif) : b&w and col.
2 objects : 7 x 38 or smaller
Date
[192-?]-2015
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material documenting Gary Wagman and his family. Included are: a commemorative key commemorating the grand opening of the Apter Centre on 13 Mar. 1949, a key to the Apter Centre, and 45 photographs in TIF format. The photographs are largely of members of the extended Gold-Wagman family including Gary Wagman, Gary's brother Howard "Hushy" Wagman, Gary's mother Ann Wagman (née Gold), and Gary's father Sollie Wagman along with various cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles. The photographs also depict several unidentified individuals who may be related to Gary.
Photo Caption (007): Ann Gold, [194-?]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2017-8-11.
Photo Caption (008): Jack Gold with friends, [194-?]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2017-8-11.
Photo Caption (010): Howard “Hushy” Wagman and Gary Wagman waiting for their grandparents at Union Station, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, [195-?]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2017-8-11.
Photo Caption (013): Leonard Walker, Mrs. Leonard Walker, Bryan Davidson, Rosalie, Charles Davidson, Aaron Miller, and Marry Miller (née Davidson), [197-?]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2017-8-11.
Photo Caption (014): Ann Gold, [193-?]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2017-8-11.
Administrative History
Gary Irving Wagman (1951-) was born 19 March 1951 and is the youngest son of Ann Wagman (née Gold, 1926-2017) and Sollie Wagman (1921-2014). His older brother Howard, known as Hushy (1947-2001), was born 9 October 1947. Gary is the grandson of David and Rose Gold (his maternal grandparents) and Celia and Jacob Wagman (his paternal grandparents).
Use Conditions
Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
Descriptive Notes
Associated materials: Other records relating to the Wagman family can be found in accessions 2009-11-1 and 2017-7-6.
Subjects
Families
Name Access
Apter Friendly Society (Toronto, Ont.)
Gold family
Wagman, Gary, 1951-
Wagman family
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-4-1
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-4-1
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
Physical Description
ca. 40 photographs : b&w and col. ; 17 x 13 cm or smaller
1 folder of textual records
Date
1921-2017
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material documenting Glen Eker's family. Included are: ca. 40 photographs of family and friends; biographical information for Benjamin Eker, Glen's grandfather; a genealogy article by Deborah Pekilis, Glen's wife, on the Issenmans of Montreal; and a copy of Glen's grandparents' marriage certificate.
Administrative History
Glen Eker was born in Toronto, Ontario to Paul Eker and Dorothy Horwitz. He grew up in the Forest Hill neighbourhood of Toronto before moving with his family to Hamilton. He received two master’s degrees (one in sociology, the other in political science) from McMaster University and a third master’s degree (in library science) from the University of Toronto.
Glen's wife, Deborah Pekilis, was born in Montreal and lived there until her parents moved to Toronto. She was the librarian for the Jewish Genealogical Society and sat on the Hamilton Historical Board. She is currently a writer.
Glen has worked as a research assistant and a teaching assistant at McMaster and has taught at Ryerson University and Mohawk College. At present, he works as an estate and genealogy researcher.
Glen has published a book on Karl Marx, five indexes of Jews in Canada, and one index of Amish and Mennonites in Canada. His genealogy articles have appeared in various magazines and his short stories and poems have appeared in print as well.
Glen has worked on his family genealogy for a number of years. His paternal family line derives from Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland while his maternal line derives from Byelorussia and Romania. He is descended from the Horwitz and Strachman families on the latter.
Descriptive Notes
Associated materials: Other accessions donated by Glen Eker include 2018-3-1, 2018-4-2, 2018-4-16, and 2018-5-1.
Subjects
Families
Genealogy
Name Access
Eker (family)
Eker, Glen
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-4-4
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-4-4
Material Format
graphic material
textual record
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
ca. 35 photographs : b&w and col. ; 33 x 27 cm or smaller
Date
1891-2013
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material documenting members of Harvey Freeman's family, several of whom served in the armed forces. Included are: family photographs, a Krugel family tree, a copy of Itzik Kriegel (Harvey's grandfather)'s army discharge, an attestation paper for Louis Krugel (Harvey's uncle), a signed program for a "stag whoopee dinner and night of blissful freedom" in honour of Lou Krugel's approaching marriage, and printed images of Harvey's daughter Tamar Freeman in Afghanistan. One of the photographs depicts Louis Krugel with professional wrestler and actor Tor Johnson, aka the Swedish Angel.
Photo Caption (001): Wellesley Public School, [ca. 1915]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-4-4.
Photo Caption (002): Louis Krugel. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-4-4.
Photo Caption (003): Buba Sluva with Sara, Moe, Lou, and Harry, 1909. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-4-4.
Photo Caption (004): Berel Krugel in front of 22 Gerard Street West, Toronto, [ca. 1919]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-4-4.
Photo Caption (005): Wedding, 28 September 1926. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-4-4.
Photo Caption (006): Louis Krugel. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-4-4.
Photo Caption (007): Baba Tzluva with Harry, [189-?]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-4-4.
Photo Caption (008): Louis Krugel. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-4-4.
Photo Caption (009): Shabbat dinner, [ca. 1940]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-4-4.
Photo Caption (010): Norman, Buba Sluva, and Bert, [ca. 1922]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-4-4.
Photo Caption (011): Family portrait, 1909. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-4-4.
Photo Caption (012): Harry and Sara, 1916. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-4-4.
Photo Caption (013): Louis Krugel, [192-?]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-4-4.
Photo Caption (014): Louis Krugel and unknown man posing with boxing gloves, [1918?]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-4-4.
Photo Caption (015): Louis Krugel, 1918. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-4-4.
Photo Caption (016): Harvey Freeman at Camp Borden, 1945. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-4-4.
Photo Caption (017): Unknown. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-4-4.
Photo Caption (018): Louis Krugel and unknown man, 1918. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-4-4.
Photo Caption (019): Louis Krugel with Tor Johnson, aka the Swedish Angel, [194-]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-4-4.
Photo Caption (020): Signed portrait of Louis Krugel. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-4-4.
Photo Caption (021): Louis Krugel, [192-]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-4-4.
Administrative History
Harvey Freeman was born on May 22, 1928. As a youth, he attended Harbord Collegiate and went on to join the militia, where he was the lone Canadian Jewish bagpiper.
Harvey made his living in business, working in different areas including furniture manufacturing and property management. As part of a change in lifestyle, he took up marathons in his early seventies.
Harvey has four children.
Use Conditions
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director prior to accessing some of the records.
Descriptive Notes
ASSOCIATED MATERIALS: Records for Harvey's daughter Tamar can be found in Accession 2013-7-8.
Subjects
Afghan War, 2001-
Families
Soldiers--Canada
Name Access
Freeman, Harvey
Freeman, Tamar
Johnson, Tor, 1903-1971
Places
Afghanistan
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-7-6
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-7-6
Material Format
graphic material
textual record
Physical Description
62 photographs : b&w and col. ; 10 x 15 cm or smaller
4 cm of textual records
Date
1920-2018
Scope and Content
Accession contains material documenting Gabriella Szanto and her family. Included are family photographs, vital records, correspondence, and a 2018 Baycrest calendar that features a portrait and short biography of Gabriella.
Custodial History
Shirley Worth served as the executor of Gabriella Szanto's estate. Following Gabriella's death, Shirley donated the records that make up the accession to the Ontario Jewish Archives.
Administrative History
Gabriella "Gabi" Szanto (née Lazlo) was born in Budapest, Hungary on 26 January 1916. Gabriella's parents, Arnold and Ilonka Lazlo (née Diamenstein), were women's clothing manufacturers who employed twenty-five people. Their skills complemented each other: Arnold had studied design in Berlin for two years while Ilonka was a dressmaker. On 18 May 1919, Arnold and Ilonka had their second child, George.
During the Second World War, Gabi and her mother moved to the outskirts of Budapest where they passed as Catholics, rarely leaving their house. Miklos Szanto—the man Gabriella married after the war—was sent to the Mauthausen concentration camp. Gabriella's brother, George, was sent to a camp in Siberia and did not survive. It is not known where or how Gabriella's father survived the war.
After the war, Gabriella, her mother and father, and her husband Miklos reunited in Budapest. The four lived in the family apartment near the city opera house.
During the period of Communist rule, Gabriella and Miklos bribed their way out of Hungary and travelled to Vienna. From Vienna, they travelled to Australia, where they lived for five or six years, working as a short order cook and a seamstress respectively.
At some point, Gabriella and Miklos made the decision to immigrate to Canada. Their first stop—most likely in the 1950s—was Montreal. There, Gabriella worked for a high-end retailer before moving with her husband to Toronto one year later. In Toronto, Miklos worked again as a short order cook at the Noshery Restaurant on Eglinton, holding this job until he retried. Gabriella, meanwhile, worked as a seamstress until she was in her mid-80s.
In their retirement, Gabriella and Miklos spent two months each winter in Florida. Gabriella died in 2018.
Use Conditions
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director prior to accessing some of the records.
Descriptive Notes
LANGUAGE NOTE: English, Hungarian, German.
Subjects
Families
Holocaust survivors
Immigrants--Canada
Name Access
Szanto, Gabriella, 1916-2018
Places
Australia
Austria
Canada
Hungary
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-11-6
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-11-6
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
Physical Description
4 folders
Date
1949-2015, predominant 1949-1976
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material documenting Glen Eker and his family. Included are: birth certificates and an expired passport for Dorothy Horwitz, certificates of marriage (including a ketubah) for Dorothy Eker and Paul Eker, a true copy of a change of name order for Isadore Maxwell Eker/Paul Maxwell Eker, and a Valentine's Day-themed photograph of Glen and Deborah "Debbie" Eker taken on 9 February 2015.
Administrative History
Glen Eker was born in Toronto, Ontario to Paul Eker and Dorothy Horwitz. He grew up in the Forest Hill neighbourhood of Toronto before moving with his family to Hamilton. He received two master’s degrees (one in sociology, the other in political science) from McMaster University and a third master’s degree (in library science) from the University of Toronto.
Glen's wife, Deborah Pekilis, was born in Montreal and lived there until her parents moved to Toronto. She was the librarian for the Jewish Genealogical Society and sat on the Hamilton Historical Board. She is currently a writer.
Glen has worked as a research assistant and a teaching assistant at McMaster and has taught at Ryerson University and Mohawk College. At present, he works as an estate and genealogy researcher.
Glen has published a book on Karl Marx, five indexes of Jews in Canada, and one index of Amish and Mennonites in Canada. His genealogy articles have appeared in various magazines and his short stories and poems have appeared in print as well.
Glen has worked on his family genealogy for a number of years. His paternal family line derives from Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland while his maternal line derives from Byelorussia and Romania. He is descended from the Horwitz and Strachman families on the latter.
Subjects
Birth certificates
Families
Marriage records
Name Access
Eker (family)
Eker, Glen
Places
Hamilton (Ont.)
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2019-1-4
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2019-1-4
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
ca. 2 cm of textual records
1 textual record (docx)
Date
2017-2019
Scope and Content
Accession consists of textual records documenting the history of the Toronto Hebrew Memorial Parks (THMP) and Sidney Freedman's role as founder. Included are: printouts of email correspondence that touch on issues of interfaith burial; funding, specifically the Sidney Freedman Endowment Fund; and THMP's relationship to UJA Federation of Greater Toronto. There is also a short version of the speech Sidney delivered on the occassion of a tribute dinner in 2016.
Administrative History
Sidney Freedman was born in 1928 in Ivansk (Iwanska) Poland. In 1929 the family of eight immigrated to Canada, first to Winnipeg, and then in 1933 to Toronto. He put himself through law school by working in construction jobs and opened a law firm after graduation. He later became president of Temple Sinai and became interested in the operation of cemeteries. In 1970 he purchased the land that would become Pardes Shalom Cemetery and later founded the Toronto Hebrew Memorial Parks.
Use Conditions
Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director prior to accessing the records.
Subjects
Cemeteries
Interfaith marriage
Name Access
Beit Olam (Toronto, Ont.)
Pardes Chaim (Toronto, Ont.)
Toronto Hebrew Memorial Parks
UJA Federation of Greater Toronto
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2019-2-7
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2019-2-7
Material Format
textual record (electronic)
textual record
Physical Description
8 textual records (electronic)
1 folder
Date
2017-2018
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material collected and/or created by Sidney Freedman. The accession includes four hard copy records and eight records in electronic format. The hard copy records include a memoir of Ivansk Poland around the time of his birth, a visit to Poland and Ivansk in 2006, and an essay titled "The Book of Job and Related Matters." There is also a copy of the The Funeral Chronicle with an article by Mr. Freedman. The electronic records include Mr. Freedman's speech at the dedication of Pardes Shalom Cemetery, and essays/stories titled "Ecrite Intimes," "Holocaust Memorials," "Hungarian Rhapsody," "Israel and Palestinians," "O Canada," "Pride and Celebrity," and "The Enduring Hatred."
Custodial History
The donor emailed the eight records in electronic records to an OJA archivist in February 2019; he mailed the hard copies shortly thereafter to the same archivist shortly thereafter.
Administrative History
Sidney Freedman was born in 1928 in Ivansk (Iwanska) Poland. In 1929 the family of eight immigrated to Canada, first to Winnipeg, and then in 1933 to Toronto. He put himself through law school by working in construction jobs and opened a law firm after graduation. He later became president of Temple Sinai and became interested in the operation of cemeteries. In 1970 he purchased the land that would become Pardes Shalom Cemetery and later founded the Toronto Hebrew Memorial Parks.
Descriptive Notes
Scope: Regarding the speech he made at the Pardes Shalom dedication, the donor noted: "Some of the comments I made at that time were adopted as a legend in THMP's promotional material. In reading it however I see how I schmaltzed up the audience with gratitude to the number of institutions and people who really didn't deserve it. The story about our priorities as to number one of first paying back invested monies to buy land etc. was completely false. In fact the only contribution came later as the archives will show when in serving the land a commercial loan from the predecessor to federation came up with something like $350,000 in increments which got paid back at 10% interest cumulatively and retired on five years. On that basis the speech I gave was feel-good but not one that was at all accurate in terms of who assisted in establishing the cemetery."
Subjects
Authors
Cemeteries
Essays
Name Access
Freedman, Sidney
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2019-5-5
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2019-5-5
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
Physical Description
7 cm of textual records
2 memorial books
1 photograph : col. ; 28 x 35 cm
Date
1889-2018
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material documenting the Rother family, in particular Dr. Irving Rother and Florence Rother (née Warshavsky). Included are legal documents, naturalization papers, vital records, correspondence, and photographs.
The legal documents pertain to the long-time family home at 91 Inglewood Drive, Toronto. The naturalization papers and vital records document Irving's father, Morris Rother; Florence's father, Isaac Warshavsky; and Irving and Florence themselves. The correspondence concerns Irving Rother's military pension.
The accession also includes documentings regarding Morris and Sadie Rother's estates; a photograph and class list from a 2003 reunion of the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine class of 1943; a letter announcing Irving's retirement; thank-you notes from patients and colleagues; memorial books from Benjamin's Park Memorial Chapel; and a family photograph taken in 1972.
The individuals in the family photograph are (from left to right): Judy Rother, Barbara Rother, Brian Schnurr, Annalee Schnurr (née Rother), Mark Rother, Florence Rother (née Warshavsky), and Irving Rother.
Custodial History
Records were donated by Judy Rother following the deaths of her parents, Irving and Florence Rother,
Subjects
Families
Name Access
Rother (family)
Rother, Florence, 1919-2016
Rother, Irving, 1919-2018
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2019-7-2
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2019-7-2
Material Format
graphic material
textual record
Physical Description
1 folder
Date
1907-2019, predominant 1907-1908
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material documenting Fanny Gertzbein (née Goldhar). Included are a family portrait of Meyer and Cyril Goldhar and eight children, a portrait of Fanny Gertzbein, and Gella Rothstein's comments on the OJA's oral history interview with Fanny Gertzbein.
Descriptive Notes
Availability of other formats: The two photographs have been scanned and are available as TIF and JPG files. Gella Rothstein's comments are available as a PDF file.
Related group of records external to the unit being described: The OJA has an oral history with Fanny Gertzbein: AC 033.
Subjects
Families
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2019-12-3
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2019-12-3
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
Physical Description
ca. 33 cm of textual records and other material
Date
1913-2014
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material documenting the maternal (Cohn) and paternal (Levy) branches of the donor's family. Included are cards, certificates, death certificates, degrees, diplomas, family trees, letters, an oral history transcript, passports, photographs, reference materials, telegrams, and other records.
Individuals documented in the records include: Al Berns, Etta Cohn, Judah Cohn, Natalie Cohn, Stanley Cohn, Sylvia Cohn, Al Cole, Myer Drazin, Manny Godfrey, Bert Gold, Dan Gold, Jonah Gold, Yenta Kohl, Ann Levy, Corinne Levy, Edgar Levy, Lois Levy, Nancy Levy, Joan Lipton, Joy Matsuzaki, Raymond Mock,Edythe Noss, Harvey Noss, Mark Noss, Walter Lyons, Judy Rubin, Richard Seymour, and Elaine Zimmerman.
Caption (030): Edgar Levy shortly after arrival in Canada, [ca. 1921]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2019-12-3.
Administrative History
The Noss family traces its origins to Russia/Ukraine. The patriarch, Avraham Noss, died after contracting typhus after being badly beaten in a pogrom. His wife, Toiba, died of either cholera, typhus, or influenza (accounts vary). They left behind four children: Raisa, Meyer, Joseph, and Moshe. The extended family took care of the four orphans but did not have enough food to feed them, so the three youngest were put in a Jewish orphanage. The eldest, Raisa, was too old but came every day to visit her brothers. One day, she arrived only to be told, "The missionaries took them away." The entire orphanage was brought to Canada. A Mr. Hershman from Toronto was involved as was a congregation of Christadelphians from Hamilton including a Mr. Farrar who owned a good-quality clothing store.
Raisa remained in Russia, where she received an education from the Communist Party and became an engineer. Meyer kept in touch with his sister for as long as possible, but the two eventually lost touch.
The Drazin family took in Meyer, the eldest brother, although the family never adopted him. Despite this, he changed his name to Drazin. Joseph ("Joe") was adopted but was returned to Children's Aid, where he went from foster home to foster home. He eventually took back the Noss family name. As for Moshe, he was adopted by Moses Levy and Marietta Steinert. Moshe's new parents changed his name to Edgar Steinert Levy. Edgar Levy is thus the same individual as Moshe Noss. Marietta was well-known in the Hamilton community, and a chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women was named after her.
Use Conditions
Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
Descriptive Notes
Accompanying material: After donating the records in her possession, the donor emailed the archivist a document titled "Noss Family Story," which the archivist used to compose the biographical sketch. The document has been saved with other supporting documentation.
Subjects
Families
Genealogy
Name Access
Cohn (family)
Levy, Corinne,1917-1978
Levy, Edgar, 1915-1980
Levy (family)
Levy, Marietta Steinbert, 1858-1928
Noss (family)
Places
Canada
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2020-3-4
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2020-3-4
Material Format
graphic material
moving images
object
textual record
Physical Description
ca. 300 photographs : b&w and col. (30 negatives) ; 36 x 26 cm or smaller
8 cm of textual records and other material
Date
1932-2011
Scope and Content
Accession consists of textual records, graphic materials, videocassettes, a scrapbook, and a small number of artifacts, which are related to the Givens and Rubin families and Phil Given's political, Jewish communal, and public service activities. Textual records consist of the Givens family record from Beth Tzedec Congregation; certificates (1932 and 1946); Phil’s campaign material; a birthday greeting to Phil’s mother, Mary Gevertz, from the Government of Ontario (1971); newspaper clippings documenting Phil’s music career in his early years as well as his political, Jewish communal, and public service activities (1932-2011); booklets of B’nai Brith documenting Phil Givens involvement with B’nai Brith Upper Canada Lodge (1949 and 1996); the Phil Givens Negev Dinner programme book (1968); a centennial schoolbook of Harbord Collegiate Institute which Phil Givens attended (1992); and magazines with articles related to Phil Givens’ communal and political activities (1967-1990). Textual records also include invitation and birthday cards (1968-1978), a personal letter and an appreciation message to Phil, and a bulletin of Hebrew Men of England Congregation dedicated to Mr. and Mrs. Paul Rubin (1966). Graphic materials are comprised mainly of photographs ([194-?]-[199-?]), which include Phil Givens’ professional portraits; Michael Givens’ camping photographs; passport photographs of Phil, Min, and Michael Givens; photographs depicting the Givens family, various social events that Phil and Min attended, Phil’s 1968 political campaign (from the campaign scrapbook), as well as Phil and Min’s trip to Egypt, Russia, and Israel. Graphic materials also include several negatives and over 150 stereo slides featuring the Givens family and events that Phil and Min attended ([195-]1978). Accession also includes fifteen Betamax videocassettes, six passports of the Givens and Rubin families (1965-1983), a SIN card of Mary Gevertz, a scrapbook of Phil’s 1968 campaign, and two metal award and honour panels granted to Phil by the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews and the Bnei Akiva Schools of Toronto (1969 and 1991).
Administrative History
Philip Gerard Givens (1922-1995) was a municipal, provincial and federal politician, a judge, a police commissioner and an active Jewish communal leader. He is largely remembered as the 54th Mayor of Toronto. Phil Givens was born in Toronto on April 24th, 1922, the only son of Hyman and Mary Gevertz (Gewercz). As a youth, he attended Harbord Collegiate and graduated from the University of Toronto in political science and economics in 1945 and from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1949. In 1947, he married Minnie "Min" Rubin (born February 7th, 1924) and together they had two children, Eleanor and Michael. Givens graduated as a lawyer from Osgoode Hall; however, shortly thereafter he decided to enter politics, running as a municipal school board trustee in 1950. In 1951 he was elected as alderman for Ward 5, serving in this capacity until 1960, when he was subsequently elected as a city Controller. Givens was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1962. Following the sudden death of Mayor David Summerville in 1963, Givens was appointed by City Council as the Mayor of Toronto and was officially elected to the position in 1964, winning a close race against the former mayor, Allan Lamport. As mayor, Givens was automatically a member of the Metropolitan Toronto Executive and Council, the Metropolitan Toronto Police Commission, the Consumer’s Gas Company Executive, the Toronto Hydro Commission and the governing boards of Toronto’s major hospitals. Givens was publicly seen as an affable and populist mayor but his tenure was not without controversy. His support for the construction of the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts and his decision to acquire Henry Moore’s bronze sculpture “the Archer” for the new Nathan Phillips Square were both highly controversial during his term in office. In particular, the Moore sculpture sparked intense controversy and public debate amongst council members and citizens alike. Although ultimately purchased with private solicited donations, the controversy surrounding the statue’s purchase was still partly to blame for Givens’ 1966 election defeat to William Dennison. In 1967 Givens entered national politics for the second time, the first being a failed 1957 bid in Toronto’s Spadina riding, winning a seat as a Liberal in Toronto’s York West riding. In 1971 he stepped down before the end of his term to campaign for a seat in the Provincial Legislature. Again running under the Liberal banner, Givens won his seat in York-Forest Hill and after the elimination of this riding in 1975, was re-elected in the new riding of Armourdale. In 1977 he retired from politics. He also worked briefly as a current affairs commentator for local radio broadcaster CHUM 1050 AM. In 1977, Givens was appointed as a provincial court judge and chairman of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Commission, serving in both capacities until 1985, when he left the Commission but continued in the judiciary as a civil trial judge until officially retiring from public life in 1988. An ardent Zionist, Givens was also a prominent leader of several Jewish communal organizations. He was the founder and first president of the Upper Canada Lodge of B’nai Brith and sat on the executives of the Canadian Jewish Congress, the United Jewish Welfare Fund, the Talmud Torah Eitz Chaim, the Zionist Organization of Canada, the Toronto Zionist Council, Jewish National Fund, State of Israel Bonds and the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. He was chairman of the United Israel Appeal-Israel Emergency Fund in 1967 and the United Jewish Appeal-Israel Special Fund in 1968. From 1973 to 1985 he was the national president of the Canadian Zionist Federation and in the 1990s was the national chairman of the Canadian Jewish Congress’ Committee for Yiddish. Givens was honoured by Jewish community organizations, including the Jewish National Fund’s Negev Award in 1968 and the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews’ Human Relations Award in 1969. As well, in 1972, he received the Award of Honour from the Toronto Regional Council of B’nai Brith. Givens was also known to be a passionate sailor and was a member of both the Royal Canadian and the Island Yacht Clubs in Toronto. He died on November 30th, 1995 at the age of 73.
Descriptive Notes
Physical Description Note: Apart from photographs and textual records, this accession also includes 156 stereo slides, 15 Betamax videocassettes, 1 scrapbook, 2 metal award and honour panels, 6 passports, and 1 SIN card.
The content and duration of the Betamax videocassettes need further identification.
Subjects
Families
Politicians
Name Access
Givens, Philip, 1922-1995
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2021-10-2
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2021-10-2
Material Format
textual record (electronic)
Physical Description
12 textual records (pdf)
Date
1977-2021
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material (chiefly genealogical research) documenting Glen Eker's family, particularly the Bishinskh line. Also included are two theses by Glen Eker—Leisure and Lifestyle in Selected Writings of Karl Marx: A Social and Theoretical History and The Early Writings of Karl Marx on the Position of Women and the Family in Bourgeois Society—and articles written by Debby Eker for the Excalibur and the Enterprise. Finally, there is an article by Paul M. Eker titled "Biblical Genealogy of Eker," which appeared in the March 1999 issue of Shem Tov.
Subjects
Families
Name Access
Eker (family)
Eker, Glen
Marx, Karl, 1818-1883
Places
Ontario
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2021-11-24
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2021-11-24
Material Format
graphic material (electronic)
Physical Description
221 photographs (jpg)
1 audiovisual recording (mp4)
Date
2016
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material documenting the Eker family. Included are photographs taken in Hamilton and Toronto. Locations include the Eker home, Limeridge Mall in Hamilton, Bayfront in Hamilton, First Canada Place, the Bay, Saks Fifth Avenue. Pictured in the photographs are Debbie and Glen Eker and Glen's father.
Use Conditions
Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
Subjects
Families
Name Access
Eker (family)
Eker, Glen
Places
Hamilton (Ont.)
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2022-7-10
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2022-7-10
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
sound recording
object
Physical Description
ca. 9 cm of textual records
186 photographs : b&w and col. ; 22 x 28 cm or smaller
1 album (197 photographs) ; 34 x 25 cm
1 audio cassette : 1/8 in.
1 identification tag : metal ; 5 x 5 cm
Date
1920-2013
Scope and Content
Accession consists of records documenting the Forberg and Michaels (Michalowitz) families. They include family histories, Holocaust documentation, and records pertaining to Bathurst Manor. Accession also includes 186 photographs documenting ancestors, family life, and family celebrations from the early 20th century to the early 2000s, including life in the DP camps and Bathurst Manor, and an album containing 197 photographs documenting Honey and Esther Forberg's 1967 trip to Israel. Additional records include Syma Forberg's metal Jewish identification tag, tributes to the Forberg family, Esther Forberg's school history project, Henry and Pola Michaels' funeral records, among others.
Custodial History
Records were donated by Esther Michaels, David and Syma's daughter, Harry and Pola's daughter-in-law.
Administrative History
David Berel Forberg was born in Czestochowa, Poland, on 1 February 1922. From 1939 to 1942, he lived in the Czestochowa Ghetto, where he worked as a manual labourer and painter. Syma Jurkowska was born in Opatow, Poland, on 5 August 1924. From 1939 to 1942, she lived in the Opatow Ghetto, where she made brushes in a factory and cleaned Gestapo homes and the post office. David and Syma met at the Polish labour camp Hasag-Palcery, where they worked at an ammunitions factory. After the war, they were placed in a DP camp in Lampertheim, Germany, where they got married on 11 September 1947. In July 1948, they left the German DP camp after three years and immigrated to Canada, via Quebec. They had two children, Joseph (born 19 June 1946 in Mannheim, Germany) and Honey Sarah (born 16 January 1948 in Lampertheim, Germany). They had been sponsored by Syma's uncle Cheil Slavny, who lived in Toronto. David and Syma rented rooms in their home, while David worked as an upholsterer and Syma babysat. In the early 1950s, they started making chairs and tables, which they delivered on the streetcar. David and Syma's younger children, Esther and Billy Avraham, were born in Toronto on 23 May 1949 and 26 Sep. 1952, respectively. David died on 9 October 2011. Syma died on 9 April 2021.
Harry Michaels (Hersz Michalowicz) was born in Kalisz, Poland, on 26 May 1918. Pola Lewkowicz was born in Zagorow, Poland, on 28 August 1916. By the end of the Second World War, they were living in the Soviet Union, where their first son, Julius (Jozef) was born, in the city of Gelendzhik, on 8 May 1945. After the war, they lived in Jawor, Poland, before resettling at the Steyr DP camp, in Austria, where their second son, Albert (Abram) was born, on 22 April 1947. In 1948, the family immigrated to Canada, arriving via Halifax on 1 October of that year. In Toronto, Harry worked as a furniture merchant. He died on 27 Sep. 1997. Pola died on 23 Apr. 2003.
David and Syma's daughter Esther married Harry and Pola's son Albert.
Use Conditions
Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director prior to accessing the records.
Subjects
Holocaust survivors
Families
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2023-2-8
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2023-2-8
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
Physical Description
ca. 18 cm of textual records
207 photographs : b&w and col. ; 28 x 32 cm or semaller
Date
[ca. 1890]-2016
Scope and Content
Accession consists of records related to Clara and Sándor Rosenbaum, and their extended families. Included are documents and photographs documenting their lives in Hungary prior to the Holocaust, as well as their lives after immigrating to Tangier and, subsequently, Canada. Also includes Holocaust accounts and restitution papers, immigration documents, vital documents, correspondence, paper money, a late 19th- or early 20th-century prayer book, and a book of Shabbat songs.
Administrative History
Clara (Klára) Szabó was born in Bölcske on 28 Nov. 1920, the daughter of local lawyer Imre Szabó (born on 2 Jun. 1893 in Bölcske) and Vilma Szabó (née Stern, born in Bölcske in 1892). She had three siblings: Elizabeth (Erzsébet), born on 30 Dec. 1913; Anna, born on 10 Jan. 1915; and András, born on 5 Dec. 1916. The family lived in Paks, where she spent most of her youth. She went to elementary school in Paks, but moved to Budapest in 1935 to attend boarding school, returning to Paks in 1939. Her father committed suicide on 3 Mar. 1940. She married Sándor Rosenbaum in Paks on 14 Jan. 1941. While visiting her sister in Békéscsaba, the whole family were deported to Auschwitz: Clara, her mother, her brother, her two sisters, and her two-year-old niece. From Auschwitz, Clara and her sister Elizabeth were sent to Ravensbrück, and from there to Neustadt bei Coburg, where they worked as forced labourers at a Siemens factory. The rest of her family were killed in the gas chambers at Auschwitz. On 15 Apr. 1945, Clara and Elizabeth escaped from a forced march and headed towards the American advance. After the war, Clara and her husband reunited, and in 1946 relocated to Tangier, where Sándor's brother, Nikolas, had been living since 1940. There, they had two children: André (born on 27 Aug. 1949) and Anique (born on 1 Oct. 1950). They lived there until 1956, when the family relocated to Montreal. There, she was the president of the Dayan Chapter of Hadassah-WIZO from 1980 to 1982. She moved to Toronto in 1997 to be closer to her children. Clara died on 6 Feb. 2016 in Toronto.
Sándor (Alexander) Rosenbaum was born in Paks on 28 Jul. 1906, the son of Mihály (Michael) Rosenbaum (merchant, born on 1875 or 1876) and Regina Freund (1882-1932). He had three siblings: Hedvig (married to Oskar Barotti), Sari (married to Zoltan Barotti), and Nikolas. During the war, from May 1943 to Sep. 1943, he served at the Jewish labour service squadron No. 104/3, in Budapest, at the post office No. 70 labour service. The squadron was then moved to the Carpathians, and Sándor worked as a farm labourer in the region. He served as a yellow armband labour serviceman in the Carpathians until the end of Oct. 1944. He escaped from the labour camp with a friend, hiding in the Carpathian forests for a few weeks. After the war, Sándor changed his last name to Rostás to sound more Hungarian, later changing it back to Rosenbaum. He immigrated with his wife Clara to Tangier, and later to Montreal with their two kids, having worked most of his life as a businessman. He died in Montreal on 6 Jul. 1987 and was buried at Shaar Hashomayim Cemetery in Outremont.
Subjects
Holocaust survivors
Families
Name Access
Rosenbaum, Clara (Klára), 1920-2016
Rosenbaum, Alexander (Sándor), 1906-1987
Places
Hungary
Tangier (Morocco)
Montréal (Québec)
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Part Of
Jewish Family and Child fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 79
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Family and Child fonds
Level
Fonds
Fonds
79
Material Format
multiple media
Date
1933-2011
Physical Description
ca. 4.8 m of texutal records and other material
Admin History/Bio
Jewish Family & Child was established in 1943 from the amalgamation of a variety of different social agencies formed as early as 1868. These included the Ladies Benevolent Fund, the Free Burial Society, Jewish Family Welfare Bureau, Jewish Children’s Bureau, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and the Ladies Maternal Aid Society. Much of its funding and support after its inception came from the United Jewish Welfare Fund.
The first executive director of the agency was Dora Wilensky. She was a trained social worker who served for twenty-eight years, until her untimely death from cancer in 1959. Jerome Diamond took over in 1960 and Gordon Wolfe succeeded him in 1981. Ron Levin briefly replaced Wolfe after his retirement in 2003, and was succeeded in 2006 by Dr. Richard Cummings who then retired in 2015. As of 2017, Brian Prousky is the organization’s current executive director.
During the early years, fees were established, but the agency never refused to assist clients because of their inability to pay. JF&CS became one of the first agencies to rely on trained social workers. It was also the first social agency in Canada to become unionized.
Over the years the agency’s role has changed and it has expanded significantly, in terms of its staff and services. After the Second World War it played a pivotal role supporting the Holocaust orphans who came to Canada as refugees, particularly in the area of locating foster parents for these children. By 1957, the agency hired its first counsellor and became a member of the United Community Fund of Greater Toronto. The year 1968 marked the start of JF&CS’ new program involving the use of a mobile treatment centre to reach out to Jewish street kids and in 1974 they established the Jerome D. Diamond Adolescent Centre.
In 1981, JF&CS was mandated by the Province of Ontario as a Jewish children’s aid society responsible for the care and protection of all Jewish youth in the GTA. In 1983 they established the Just-A-Second Shop at 3101 Bathurst Street, which took in used goods from the community to pass on to needy families. Two years later they established the Henry G. Goodman Home for developmentally challenged children on Wilmington Avenue. The following year marked the opening of the Elm Ridge Group Living Residence for elderly people. In 1988, they opened a special shelter for abused women and children, and in 1994, they introduced their Homework Club for kids.
The current mission of Jewish Family & Child is to support the healthy development of individuals, children, families, and communities through prevention, protection, counselling, education, and advocacy services, within the context of Jewish values. Their services include counselling, rehabilitation and support, foster care, family services, and community services. These services are offered in a host of different languages including Hebrew, Yiddish, Russian, French, and English.
JF&CS is an independent organization that receives its funding from a variety of different sources such as UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, United Way Toronto and York Region, the Government of Ontario, and individual donations.
As of 2017, JF&CS has nearly 130 staff providing more than thirty community services with a budget of almost $20 million. Their main office is located in the Lipa Green Centre for Community Services at 4600 Bathurst Street. They also maintain offices and run services out of their downtown branch at 35 Madison Avenue, their York Region branch inside UJA’s 1 Open Door at the Lebovic JCC, and their Jerome D. Diamond Adolescent Centre in midtown Toronto.
Name Access
Jewish Family and Child
Wilensky, Dora, 1902-1959
Wolfe, Gordon
Diamond, Jerome D.
Subjects
Charities
Children
Families
Nonprofit organizations
Access Restriction
Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director and head of Jewish Family and Child prior to accessing the records.
Related Material
See also: Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds (fonds 86); Jewish Family Welfare Bureau fonds (fonds 87); Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto fonds (fonds 66); and, United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds (fonds 67).
Creator
Jewish Family and Child (Toronto, Ont.)
Accession Number
2004-5-101
2004-1-8
2002-10-38
2006-6-7 (Shelf 03-6,Orphan index cards)
2009-12-9
2010-4-1 (Shelf 34-1)
2010-10-5
2015-8/11
2015-9/1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
David Pinkus fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 138
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
David Pinkus fonds
Level
Fonds
Fonds
138
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
graphic material (electronic)
architectural drawing
philatelic record
sound recording
cartographic material
object
Date
1854-2021
Physical Description
ca. 2.4 m of textual records
ca. 600 photographs : b&w and col. (ca. 90 negatives); 30 x 35 cm or smaller
other material
Admin History/Bio
David Pinkus (1924-2021) was born on May 11, 1924, at the Toronto General Hospital to Isadore Pinkus (1887-1947) and Molly (Mollie) Pinkus (née Parelstein) (1892-1990). Isadore was born in Kiev Gubernia of the Russian Empire; Molly was born in Podolia Gubernia of the Russian Empire and later moved to Ukraine with her family. Isadore and Molly met and married in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1910 and moved to Toronto in 1911. The Pinkus family settled in Kensington Market in around 1914 and was one of the first Jewish settlers to the Kensington neighbourhood. David spent his entire life living in the Kensington Market area. He lived on 83 Huron Street until 1927 when the Pinkus family moved to 34 Nassau Street, which has been the house of the Pinkus family ever since. David had two siblings: brother Max and sister Goldie.
In his childhood, David attended the Brunswick Talmud Torah daily and learned Hebrew. He had his bar mitzvah at the Kiever Shul. David attended William Houston School until 1930 and Ryerson Public School until grade eight. Later, he attended Harbord School for high school and was also involved with sports at Harbord Collegiate and YMHA. In 1947, David obtained his Bachelor of Applied Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Toronto. After graduation, he worked at Goodyear for one year and returned to the University of Toronto as an instructor of engineering drawing and machine design. Later, he worked at various places such as Canadian Industries Limited in Maitland, Toronto Iron Works, and Avro Aircraft Limited.
David’s father, Isadore, was one of the founders of the Kiever Synagogue. David’s involvement with the Kiever Synagogue started in 1947, following Isadore’s death. David served as president and held positions on the executive of the Kiever Shul and played a principal role in the restoration of the shul. He also served on Toronto’s Board of Health as well as the boards of the Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, and St. Christopher House. In addition, David was an active community leader and local historian. He did genealogical research for many Toronto Jewish families. David had been recognized by the National Jewish Federation of North America as a Jewish community hero in 2011. He passed away on May 6, 2021.
Custodial History
Records received after the death of David Pinkus through Joseph Solomon, the executor of David Pinkus’ estate. Records have been selected by archivists following a site visit at David’s home at 34 Nassau Street, Toronto.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of textual records, graphic material, sound recordings, architectural drawings, artifacts, and a small number of philatelic records, most of which document David Pinkus’ career and personal life, the Pinkus family, the Kiever Shul, the Kiever Cemetery, as well as Mount Sinai Cemetery Association (Mount Sinai Memorial Park) and the Dawes Road Cemeteries (Amalgamated Dawes Road Trustees), of which the Kiever Congregation is a member organization. Also included are documents and photographs of other individuals and families, which David collected for his genealogical research, and those that are pertaining to Kensington Market and other congregations and cemeteries.
Textual records include correspondence; scrapbooks; education records; identification documents; research notes and clippings relating to David’s genealogical research; documents pertaining to his Kensington Market activism and community work; files on David’s engineering career and his role as president of the Kiever Shul; and files documenting the Pinkus family members, such as funeral documents, notebooks, family correspondence, voters’ lists, and records relating to Pinkus Fruit Co. and 34 Nassau Street. Also included are records documenting the Kiever Shul, which include meeting minutes, ledger books, financial documents, legal documents, membership lists and application forms, address books, high holiday service cards, and historic papers dating from the 1920s and 1930s. Textual records documenting the Kiever Cemetery, Mount Sinai Memorial Park, and the Dawes Road Cemeteries are mainly comprised of cemetery maps, burial plot cards, burial record books, by-laws and regulations, and meeting minutes. Also present are records pertaining to other congregations and cemeteries, such as constitution books, brochures, booklets, and copies of legal documents.
Photographs mainly feature David Pinkus and the Kiever Cemetery, with a small number featuring the Pinkus family members, the Junction Synagogue (Congregation Knesseth Israel), the Great Choral Synagogue of Kyiv, and those that David collected for his genealogical research.
Architectural drawings of this fonds include the restoration and renovation plan for the Kiever Shul and the alteration plan for Mount Sinai Cemetery Administration Building.
Also present are sound recordings, including cassettes and microcassettes of David Pinkus; and artifacts, including felt patches, pin back buttons, medals, Toronto foot-pedlar registration badges, and a wooden gavel of the Kiever Shul.
Fonds has been arranged into the following series: David Pinkus’ personal records; Kensington Market; David Pinkus’ genealogical research; the Pinkus family; the Kiever Shul; the Kiever Cemetery; Mount Sinai Memorial Park; the Dawes Road Cemeteries; and other associations, congregations, and cemeteries.
Notes
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION NOTE: Also included are 22 architectural drawings, 7 maps, 4 audio cassettes, 2 microcassettes, 1 optical disc, 8 drawings, 2 prints, 1 photo collage, 34 pinback buttons, 15 Toronto padler-on-foot registration badges, 8 felt patches, 3 medals, 3 brooches, 1 wooden gavel, 2 tax tokens, 2 postage stamps, 1 sales tax stamp, and 9 revenue stamps.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE: Books that were initially included in this fonds have been removed and incorporated into the OJA’s library collection. These books are: Spadina Avenue by Rosemary Donegan with an introduction by Rick Salutin, Toronto No Mean City by Eric Arthur revised by Stephen A. Otto, Canadian Jewish Directory edited by Edmond Y. Lipsitz, The Toronto Jewish Directory, and The Canada Year Book 1905 (second series).
HISTORY/BIO NOTE: Information is sourced from OH 413 and the content of the fonds.
Name Access
Pinkus, David, 1924-2021
Kiever Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)
Mount Sinai Cemetery Association (Toronto, Ont.)
Mount Sinai Memorial Park (Toronto, Ont.)
Dawes Road Cemetery (Toronto, Ont.)
Amalgamated Dawes Road Trustees (Toronto, Ont.)
Subjects
Families
Synagogues
Genealogy
Cemeteries
Access Restriction
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.
Repro Restriction
Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
Related Material
See accessions 2004-1-5, 2004-1-6, 2004-2-1, 2008-11-9, 2016-3-48, and 2021-10-1 for additional information on the Kiever Shul; and OH 413 for more information on David Pinkus and the Pinkus family.
Arrangement
Records came into the OJA with no discernible order. Arrangement has been imposed by the archivist.
Creator
Pinkus, David, 1924-2021
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Kensington Market (Toronto, Ont.)
Accession Number
2021-7-3
Source
Archival Descriptions